Blockheads - Biography
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Biography
Brutality, conscience, relentlessness are the words that come to your mind to describe the music and history of Blockheads.
The combo has gigged throughout Europe and France for more than 10 years, pounding the audience with an ultra-violent and respiteless Grind-core that won't give them any rest.
In 1992 after countless hours listening to Napalm Death, Carcass, Bolt Thrower, Brutal Truth, these kids decide to take up instruments. Brutality indeed, extreme style, their grind-core is dissected and digested by the band. One of the most violent music ever but with a conscience. Not a dogmatic or demagogic one, but a healthy social conscience facing rampant individualism and world reducing people to mere merchandise? Blockheads chooses his side: that of sincerity and honesty.
Just a few months rehearsing, a demo in '93 and the band ends up playing with Loudblast and Carcass in their hometown of Nancy. It was in 1994.
The following year will see the release of their first album Last Tribes on their own label Blockheads Tribe. Of course, the band opted for the DIY perspective as traditionally done in the punk movement.
They give shows after shows at an incredible speed as their style requires. Last Tribes has got the fury and energy of a debut album, an outlet for a Punk-Grind fierceness extolled by Xav's screams. Their name circulates outside the frontiers and from this day Blockheads takes part to the Grind International.
In 1997, their first split 12 single with the Austrian Death-Grind band Mastic Scum sees the light. During the same period, the group meets the Swiss band Nostromo with whom they will share many gigs and parties. Besides this mutual friendship will materialize into a split 12 single (Molaire / Shogun Records) in 2002. Nostromo indeed, but also Obituary, Soulfly, Knut, Indecision, Krisiun, Deranged so on? so many bands coming from various scenes (Grind, Death, Hard Core among others) that will cross the combo's path.
In 1998, after a massive shift in the band's personnel, they release their second album, still self-produced and called Watch Out. Blockheads will always go further and further.
Afterwards and in a very natural way, the band signs with Bones Brigade records who offers them to compile the long sold-out single cd From Womb To Genocide in 2000. They've made a new step forwards. Their third long-player Human Parade will also be release on Bones Brigade.
Critics acknowledge the band's evolution towards a clearly singular type of Grind-core. From squatts to festivals where sweat and aggressiveness can only be matched by the audience warmth, Blockheads hammers its ear splitting Grind-core and blast beats into the listeners'heads. What a long way they've covered for 10 years! Three albums to their credit, hundreds of shows in Europe and a worldwide fame in the underground scene.
The new millennium begins when the band comes across Overcome Records who offers them to play with Napalm Death and Nasum. Sharing such a set can't be turned down and Blockheads will give a concert that won't be forgotten. From this day, the band will remain in a very tight relationship with Overcome Records. They keep on playing in a front of ever-growing audiences, whether at the Fuck The Commerce Festival in 2002 or at the Fury Fest in 2003 and their name will be mentioned in many articles and thank-lists.
In 2004 and 2005, the band writes new material and carries on performing with the likes of Nasum, Converge, Cephalic Carnage or The Dillinger Escape Plan.
The year 2006 brings the much expected new recording Shapes Of Misery to the light, produced at the famous LAB Studio by Stephane Buriez, whom the lads had met in 1994. The rough edge that the band was reproached with by a few people is simply blown away. 20 tracks of devastating Grind-core on which Blockheads shows a personal touch along with more technical new influences, drums that never falter by the amazing rhythm-machine Nico, a wall of guitars by the 3 string-masters Fred, Raph, Junior added to Xav's vocal power backed with hysterical screams on what is said to the band's best album. A tour with Mumakil is planned as well as a show at the illustrious Obscene Extreme Festival. A new blow in the world's face and that won't be the last.
The combo has gigged throughout Europe and France for more than 10 years, pounding the audience with an ultra-violent and respiteless Grind-core that won't give them any rest.
In 1992 after countless hours listening to Napalm Death, Carcass, Bolt Thrower, Brutal Truth, these kids decide to take up instruments. Brutality indeed, extreme style, their grind-core is dissected and digested by the band. One of the most violent music ever but with a conscience. Not a dogmatic or demagogic one, but a healthy social conscience facing rampant individualism and world reducing people to mere merchandise? Blockheads chooses his side: that of sincerity and honesty.
Just a few months rehearsing, a demo in '93 and the band ends up playing with Loudblast and Carcass in their hometown of Nancy. It was in 1994.
The following year will see the release of their first album Last Tribes on their own label Blockheads Tribe. Of course, the band opted for the DIY perspective as traditionally done in the punk movement.
They give shows after shows at an incredible speed as their style requires. Last Tribes has got the fury and energy of a debut album, an outlet for a Punk-Grind fierceness extolled by Xav's screams. Their name circulates outside the frontiers and from this day Blockheads takes part to the Grind International.
In 1997, their first split 12 single with the Austrian Death-Grind band Mastic Scum sees the light. During the same period, the group meets the Swiss band Nostromo with whom they will share many gigs and parties. Besides this mutual friendship will materialize into a split 12 single (Molaire / Shogun Records) in 2002. Nostromo indeed, but also Obituary, Soulfly, Knut, Indecision, Krisiun, Deranged so on? so many bands coming from various scenes (Grind, Death, Hard Core among others) that will cross the combo's path.
In 1998, after a massive shift in the band's personnel, they release their second album, still self-produced and called Watch Out. Blockheads will always go further and further.
Afterwards and in a very natural way, the band signs with Bones Brigade records who offers them to compile the long sold-out single cd From Womb To Genocide in 2000. They've made a new step forwards. Their third long-player Human Parade will also be release on Bones Brigade.
Critics acknowledge the band's evolution towards a clearly singular type of Grind-core. From squatts to festivals where sweat and aggressiveness can only be matched by the audience warmth, Blockheads hammers its ear splitting Grind-core and blast beats into the listeners'heads. What a long way they've covered for 10 years! Three albums to their credit, hundreds of shows in Europe and a worldwide fame in the underground scene.
The new millennium begins when the band comes across Overcome Records who offers them to play with Napalm Death and Nasum. Sharing such a set can't be turned down and Blockheads will give a concert that won't be forgotten. From this day, the band will remain in a very tight relationship with Overcome Records. They keep on playing in a front of ever-growing audiences, whether at the Fuck The Commerce Festival in 2002 or at the Fury Fest in 2003 and their name will be mentioned in many articles and thank-lists.
In 2004 and 2005, the band writes new material and carries on performing with the likes of Nasum, Converge, Cephalic Carnage or The Dillinger Escape Plan.
The year 2006 brings the much expected new recording Shapes Of Misery to the light, produced at the famous LAB Studio by Stephane Buriez, whom the lads had met in 1994. The rough edge that the band was reproached with by a few people is simply blown away. 20 tracks of devastating Grind-core on which Blockheads shows a personal touch along with more technical new influences, drums that never falter by the amazing rhythm-machine Nico, a wall of guitars by the 3 string-masters Fred, Raph, Junior added to Xav's vocal power backed with hysterical screams on what is said to the band's best album. A tour with Mumakil is planned as well as a show at the illustrious Obscene Extreme Festival. A new blow in the world's face and that won't be the last.